Chapter 192: Yui Wants to Level Up; Yuigahama's All-Out Offensive!
"Kitagawa-san, I have to disagree with you there."
Yoru's playful, chaotic grin suddenly vanished. Standing next to a life-sized character cutout that was roughly his height, he spoke with uncharacteristic gravity.
"You said it yourself once: cosplay isn't just about looking the part. It's about your personal understanding of the character. It's about putting in every ounce of effort to truly become them."
He looked her in the eye. "If I can't even grasp the character's heart, then even if my height and build match 'The Mask' perfectly, it's just a hollow imitation, isn't it? Since I promised to join the event with you, I intend to deliver nothing less than a perfect restoration."
Marin Kitagawa froze. She looked at Yoru, her heart skipping a beat.
This guy... who was usually so "Abstract" and unhinged... actually remembered something she'd offhandedly said so long ago?
Marin had always assumed that Yoru, with his "Avatar of Chaos" personality, didn't really care about something as "otaku" as cosplay. She figured he was just humoring her. But hearing him validate her philosophy with such sincerity... a wave of surprise and genuine emotion washed over her.
Yoru-kun actually gets it. He understands why I love this so much.
In that moment, Marin felt as if the Yoru standing before her and the "Mask" on the cardboard cutout had merged into one person. The resemblance was uncanny.
"If you're going to be that serious, then I've gotta step up my game too!" Marin pumped her fist, her eyes sparkling with competitive fire. "Alright! Let's find the perfect outfit today. Tonight, we'll head back to the hotel, have Saki-chan help us with the final prep, and then we hit the convention tomorrow! Let's gooo!"
Meanwhile, at the Yagami Residence.
"Onii-chan, you're reading the newspaper again? Seriously..."
Sayu Yagami leaned over the table, watching her brother, Light Yagami, sip his coffee with the stoic intensity of a middle-aged salaryman.
"You're only a high school freshman, but you have zero 'youthful energy.' You're always as serious as Dad," she teased.
Light looked up, offering a gentle, practiced smile. "Not enough like Yoru-kun?"
Sayu's face instantly flushed. She fidgeted with her hair, looking away. "Hey! Why bring him up? Don't say stuff like that... besides, he already has a girlfriend."
"Oh? So you do have feelings for him?"
"I said stop it! Jeez!"
Light kept the smile on his face, but his eyes remained cold—as if the playful banter with his sister was just a script he was reading to maintain his "Perfect Student" disguise. He looked back down at the headline on the front page and pointed to it.
"Have you heard about this?"
Sayu leaned in to look and nodded solemnly. "Oh, that case. Yeah, everyone's talking about it. That guy is a monster."
The headline read: "DEMENTED SERIAL KILLER MIURA KURA HEADS TO TRIAL!"
Below was a summary of the case that had Tokyo gripped with fear and rage. Miura Kura, 37, a loner. His crimes were the stuff of nightmares. In just two months, he had lured six young girls to his home and murdered them in his basement. The oldest victim was eight; the youngest was only six.
According to the forensics report, he had subjected them to horrific torture and sexual assault before ending their lives.
The public outcry was deafening. Online petitions for the death penalty had garnered millions of signatures.
But as the son of a high-ranking police official, Light knew the truth about the "Sakura Prefecture" legal system. Even if a death sentence was handed down, the execution would be tied up in red tape for decades. The criminal would likely die of old age before the paperwork was finished.
Furthermore, Miura Kura had obtained a "Severe Mental Illness" certification from a prestigious hospital. Despite the public's rage, everyone knew the trial would likely end with him being sent to a comfortable psychiatric ward for a few years instead of a prison cell.
Sayu walked into the kitchen to help their mother with dinner, sighing in frustration. "It's scary to think a guy like that could be back on the streets one day. Who's to say he won't do it again? It's just... so hopeless."
Mrs. Yagami forced a weak smile. "I'm just glad your father isn't working the Tokyo beat right now. His blood pressure couldn't handle a case this infuriating."
Light took another sip of his coffee. His brown eyes flickered with a faint, predatory crimson glint as he stared at the photo of Miura Kura.
"To work so hard to catch a criminal, only to watch them walk free because the system is broken..." Light said softly. "I can understand why Dad feels so frustrated."
Sayu patted his shoulder. "If you feel that strongly, maybe you should change your career goals? Forget the Police Department—you should run for the Diet! Become a politician and actually change the laws. That's how you really fix society."
Light offered a thin smile. "Maybe when I'm in university."
Sayu pouted, a bit envious. "Ugh, with your brain, you could get into any college you want. We have the same genes—why am I so far behind?"
Light patted her head affectionately. "You'd do just fine if you actually studied. I'm going upstairs to hit the books."
Once he was safe behind his bedroom door, the warmth vanished from his face. The crimson in his eyes deepened. He stared at the newspaper, his lips curling into a chilling, twisted smirk.
"Change society? I don't need to be a politician for that."
He whispered to the empty room: "The world doesn't need more laws. It needs Kira."
That evening, in Futaba Rio's hotel room.
The four "Spirit Mediums" of the Super-Quant Club—Rio, Miko, Mai, and Yui (Tuanzi)—were lounging together, chatting.
"So..." Yui sat on the sofa, nibbling on a bag of BBQ chips. She let out a long sigh. "I've had my Kiyohime eat a few evil spirits lately, but my power level barely moved. Is it because I don't have enough talent...?"
She looked at the other three curiously. "You guys are all so strong. Your Soul Bodies must have eaten tons of ghosts, right? Like, how many are we talking?"
"Uh... well..."
Seeing the complicated, awkward expressions on the faces of Mai, Rio, and Miko, Yui blinked. She quickly waved her hands. "Wait! Did I ask something too personal? Sorry! I didn't mean to pry into your secret techniques!"
Rio adjusted her glasses. Usually the most stoic and logical of the group, she seemed to be struggling for words.
"Eating spirits... isn't really a secret," Rio began hesitantly. "We do that during exorcisms, and it does help. But the main reason our strength skyrocketed... well..."
Rio trailed off, her face turning slightly pink.
Eating spirits? Sure, that's one way.
But being 'Infused' by Yoru? That levels you up ten times faster and buffs your physical stats to superhuman levels.
Just a few days ago, even Rio and Mai—who weren't frontline fighters like Miko—were able to leap off a three-story building without breaking a sweat. If you only "ate" ghosts, your Soul Body got stronger, but your human body stayed fragile. To bridge that gap, there was only one method.
But how the hell were they supposed to explain that to the innocent Yui?!
"Ahem."
Seeing Rio and Miko turning red and acting like shy schoolgirls, Mai Sakurajima—the self-proclaimed "Leader of the Harem"—felt the weight of responsibility on her shoulders. She leaned in, took the chips away from Yui, and grabbed the girl's hands, looking her dead in the eye.
"Tuanzi... do you really want to know?"
Yui was taken aback by Mai's intensity. She nodded slowly. "Is it... is it dangerous?"
"Dangerous? Well, it can be... intense," Mai said, her own cheeks flushing as memories surfaced. "There were a few times during the 'Power Leveling' process where I actually blacked out."
Miko nodded weakly, her voice barely a whisper. "Me... me too. I reached my limit so many times..."
Yui's eyes widened to the size of saucers.
Mai-senpai aside... even Miko, the strongest fighter in the club who could stare down a demon without blinking, had fainted from the intensity of the training?!
How brutal is this cultivation?!
To wear the crown, you must bear the weight. Is this the price of being a top-tier exorcist?
Yui, ever the empathetic soul, squeezed Mai's hands. Her voice was thick with emotion. "Mai-senpai... I had no idea you all went through such agony to get this strong."
"Agony...?" Mai bit her lip, looking at Rio and Miko. Their expressions were... complicated. "I wouldn't call it 'agony.' It's actually quite... well, it's a lot of things."
"A lot of what? What things?!"
Looking at Yui's pure, clueless face, even the bold Mai Sakurajima couldn't bring herself to discuss her "Nightly Activities" with Yoru in front of a crowd.
"Look... why don't you just call Yoru?" Mai tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, hiding her embarrassment. "He... he's the expert on this 'method.'"
"Oh! I get it!" Yui's face lit up. "So he's the one who developed this high-speed training? That's amazing! He really is the best."
Yui resolved right then and there: she wouldn't let the rest of the club leave her in the dust. She was going to catch up.
"Okay! Thanks, Mai-senpai!" Yui stood up, pulling out her phone as if she were going to call him right then and there.
Mai quickly stopped her. "Wait! You should... probably ask to meet him in person. Alone. To discuss it privately."
Miko stood up and patted Yui on the shoulder. Giving her a "look" that Yui couldn't quite decipher, the blue-haired girl whispered: "Tuanzi... good luck. Fight on!"
Back in her own room, Yui took a deep breath. "Tuanzi, you can do this! Fight on!"
She dialed Yoru's number.
"Hey, Yoru? Are you busy?"
"Oh, Yui. Nah, what's up?"
Before she could speak, she heard a series of guttural roars and screeching coming from his end of the line.
"Stay down!" Yoru's voice echoed, followed by a dull thud—the sound of a fist hitting something fleshy. Then, silence.
Yui hesitated. "Um... what are you doing?"
Yoru's voice returned, sounding cheerful. "Nothing much. Since we're on vacation, I thought I'd sample some of Tokyo's 'local delicacies.'"
"Oh... I see."
Yui knew that "local delicacies" for Yoru didn't mean ramen or sushi. But she had realized long ago: Yoru didn't exorcise spirits to "save the city" or "protect the innocent." He did it because he genuinely enjoyed it.
The guy was definitely not "mentally stable."
Yui shook her head and got straight to the point. "I want to get stronger. Mai-senpai said you have a... special training method?"
"Special training, huh? Yeah, you could call it that," Yoru replied noncommittally. Then his tone turned serious. "But are you ready for it, Yui?"
"It's a grueling test for your body and your spirit. You'll be pushed to your physical limits, and your willpower will be ground down. Only by crossing that line can you truly level up."
"That sounds intense!" Yui gritted her teeth, her face full of resolve. "I've made up my mind! I'm ready!"
"Aight then. I'll send you the address. Come find me."
"Okay! See you soon!"
After hanging up, Yui started to head for the door, but her eyes caught her suitcase in the corner. She remembered what her mom told her before the trip: "Yui, once you realize how you feel, throw away your hesitation. Sometimes being 'nice' isn't enough—you need to be bold!"
Yui stopped. She looked at her reflection. "Would it be weird if I dressed up a bit...?"
"Not weird at all," a voice hissed behind her.
"Eek!" Yui jumped, clutching her chest. She turned to see her Soul Body, Kiyohime, manifested in the room. "Jeez! Don't just pop out like that!"
Kiyohime flicked her snake-like tail, looking at Yui with utter disappointment. "You. Do you even realize what your problem is?"
"You're always overthinking. Too much hesitation, not enough action. You're constantly suppressing what you really want. I was literally born from your repressed obsessions—I know you better than you know yourself."
"But—"
"No 'buts'!" Kiyohime cut her off with a grin. "You brought those cute clothes—why waste them? Put on those earrings. Put on the lipstick. Hurry up! You don't want to keep Yoru waiting and make a bad impression, do you? Full speed ahead!"
Under Kiyohime's "encouragement," Yui finally gave in. She changed into a mature, sophisticated outfit: a sleeveless white top that showed off her soft shoulders, paired with a black midi-skirt. She even put on a pair of delicate gold earrings.
"Does... does it look okay?" Yui asked the mirror, feeling totally out of her element.
"Perfect. Absolutely perfect," Kiyohime purred. Her form began to fade into the air. Her last words were: "Now go get 'em."
In another room on the same floor.
Marin Kitagawa was sitting cross-legged on her bed, her pink-tipped blonde hair tied up, as she organized her cosplay accessories. She was rambling to Saki Kawasaki.
"I'm telling you, when I went to Akihabara with Yoru this morning..."
"Please, I beg of you, give it a rest," Saki sighed, facepalming. "You've told me this story five times in the last hour. I get it. Yoru's 'Cosplay Philosophy' resonates with your soul. Cool."
"But it's true! I didn't think he'd be so into it! He even remembered that random thing I said months ago!"
Saki looked at Marin—at her pale skin, her gorgeous face, and her... very "curvy" figure. A single thought crossed Saki's mind:
Are you sure it's 'Cosplay' he's interested in, Marin? Or is it just you?